Rotary sharpening device



June 2Q, 1933.. R D AMIS 1,914,669

ROTARY SHARPENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1952 may faberZlZ/i I 7 imm Fatented June 2%, 1933 recs ROBERT D. AMIS, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS ROTARY SHARPENING DEVICE Application filed September 6, 1932.

This invention relates to sharpeners for knives and the like, and more especially to that class involving the use of a container for supplying a lubricant to the abrading or 5 sharpening surface, and my special object is to provide a lubricant container equipped with a rotary device for holding a plurality of abrading elements, all of the elements except the one positioned for use being immersed or partly immersed in the lubricant, provision being also made to positively lock the rotary device in fixed position with any desired abrading element above the lubricant level and so disposed as to enable one to sharpen a knife or tool upon it.

A further object is to produce a rotatable device which employs elements having the dual function of underlying the abrading elements to resist downward movement there- 29 of when subjected to force applied thereon by the knife or tool being sharpened and of exerting clamping compressive force through the rotary device on the ends of the abrading elements to retain them in place when so positioned that their gravitative tendency is,

to move away from said clamping elements. With the general objects named in view, and others of a secondary character, the invention consists in certain novel and useful 30 features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the sharpener embodying the invention, the cover being omitted and the uppermost abrading element and its clamping support elements being broken'away to disclose features of interior 40 arrangement more clearly.

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line lL-II of Figure 1, but also showing the cover partly in section and partly in end elevation.

Figure 3 is across section on the irregular line Ill1ll f Figure 1, but also showing the cover in place and one end wall of the container broken away to disclose one of the engaging pin and socket arrangements to hold the cover in place.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section Serial no. 631,766.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 is a bOXdlliG container and 2 a cover therefor when the sharpener is stored or not in use. The end walls of the container are preferably arched and the end walls of the cover conformingly recessed for close fitting, and to retain the cover against accidental dislodg' ment endwise or sidewise, the end walls of the container are provided with sockets 3 to receive pins 4. depending from the cover. This is the preferred arrangement for securing the cover in place but it will obvious that the particular mode of holding the cover in position is unimportant as regards the operative parts of the sharpener. The cover is, of course, removed preliminary to putting the sharpener to use.

A longitudinal shaft 5 extends within the container and is journaled or rigidly secured in the end walls, and rigidly secured or journaled on the shaft is a pair of plates, shown in this instance, as triarmed, the outer ends of the arms being straight. Opposite arms of the two plates 6, are connected by clamping means, shown as two threaded screw rods 7 extending through the arms and engaged at their threaded extremities by nuts 8. The plates and clamping means constitute the so-called rotary device. EX- tending lengthwise of the container and fitting at their ends against the inner sides of the respective arms of the plates outward of the adjacent rods and fiatwise against the latter, are abrading elements 9, of carborundum or other abrasive material, preferably of different degrees of fineness. The rods and nuts clamp the plates firmly against the ends of the abrasive elements and also resist downward movement of the latter when the rotary device is turned to cause a desired abrasive element to occupy an operative horizontal position above the plane of the arched ends of the container and is subjected to pressure applied on a knife or tool, not shown, to be sharpened.

To prevent rotation or lateral shifting movement during a sharpening operation,

one of the plates 6 is provided with an opening 10 for each abrasive element, one of said openings when an abrasive element is vertically above the shaft 5, registering with a sleeve 11 secured in the adjacent end wall of the container. The outer end of the sleeve has a head or flange 12 fitting and secured to the outer face of said wall by screws or other conventional means, not shown.

The sleeve has an internal shoulder 13 formed by reducing the diameter of the outer end of its bore, and fitting slidingly in the sleeve is a locking pin 14: having a head 15 at its inner end and a handle 16 at its 15 outer end. A spring 17 fits in the sleeve around the pin and bears at its opposite ends on the shoulder 13 and head 15 and exerts force to press the head of the pin against the adjacent plate 6 so that as an 0 opening 10 comes opposite the pin the latter will automatically enter the opening and thus lock the rotary device against movement, it being necessary to effect retraction of the pin from the opening by a pull on the handle 16 before further rotative movement of the rotary device, forward or backward,

-an take place.

By means of this device a knife or other tool can be quickly honed or sharpened. As

suggested the abrasive elements may be of different degrees of fineness, or replacements for finer grinding or polishing purposes may be quickly made after obvious preliminary manipulation of a pair of the clamping means.

From the above description, it will be ap parent that I have produced a sharpening or honing device of efficient, economical, simple and durable construction, and which may be modified in minor features within the principle of construction involved and without departure from the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a sharpening device, a shaft, a. pair of plates thereon, pairs of rods connecting said plates, take-up means engaging the rods to effect approaching movement of the plates, and abrasive elements fitting flatly at their inner sides on the pairs of rods and at their ends against said plates.

2. In a sharpening device, a shaft, a pair of plates thereon, pairs of rods connecting said plates, and provided with heads at one end and threads at the other, abrasive elements fitting at their inner sides on said pairs of rods and at their ends against the inner sides of the plates, and nuts engaging the rods and cooperating with the heads thereof in applying pressure to clamp the plates against the interposed abrasive elements.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT D. AMIS. 

